I haven’t been baking much, and I’m still trying to decide on my next cookbook. The one thing that I have been doing is making this granola at least once a week. It’s nutty and toasty and full of crunchy things. I’ve been eating it on yogurt and straight out of the jar by the handful. I liked it so much, that I included it in my Christmas candy packages to friends and family.

The original recipe is from the Tasty Kitchen website. So far, the only change I’ve made is to not include the dried cranberries or chocolate. Honestly, I like it plain. It is plenty sweet from the brown sugar and agave syrup. One of these days, I’d like to try using honey or maple syrup instead of the agave syrup, and I’d like to experiment with different combinations of nuts and seeds. Recipe after the jump.

Coconut Granola
By whatsgabycooking from the Tasty Kitchen website

3 cups old fashion oats
3/4 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
3/4 cup almond, roughly chopped
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cashews, almonds, coconut, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, agave and brown sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine until everything is well coated.

4. Spread the granola mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a few large clumps. Bake the granola for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and break up the pieces to ensure even baking. Place the baking sheet back into the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and give it one more toss to break up some of the pieces and place back into the oven for the last 10 minutes.

5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it cool completely. Once cooled, add the chocolate chips and the dried cranberries. Give it a quick toss with a spoon and then package into mason jars or brown paper bags to store.